Even though its only 9 am I feel like I've already done a days' worth of garden work. I finished planting all of the Podocarpus except for 2 of the biggest ones.
The Tithonia seeds that popped up are very welcome to me. I love those flowers and they will be showstoppers come summer. I found more in the yard this morning. The Rain Lilies are blooming.
The Dill is in bloom. These are growing out of a crack in the Raised Bed.
The Basil is doing fine. I had to take it out of the garden and put it in the Raised Bed. Rabbit patrol!
I also have what was left of the Bell Peppers in the RB.
The BBQ grill seeds all sprouted.
We went to Barb's today to see if she had any gravel and she did, 2 bags full. She had scooped it, sifted it, and bagged it for us. She gave me another Mother Earth magazine and 2 more Gardeners Supply catalogs and a bunch of Cherry Tomatoes that were ripe. Yum! Then she gave me the Podocarpus, and I mean a bunch. I planted them all over our yard today and I planted a bunch in our neighbor's yard to help stop the soil erosion on her bank. I still have so many of the tiny ones to plant somewhere, but right now they are soaking in rainwater.
She has still more in her backyard, but I told her I would be back to get them when they get bigger. Her garden is looking good, and I know she loves to show me what has grown, what is in bloom, and her progress with redoing the whole foundation plantings. I showed her where her Rain Lilies were, in full bloom. She forgets where they are located. I do that too. I have a plant in the garden that I cannot identify. Oh, that just makes me so mad. And sometimes I forget the common name and can remember the Latin name. Have you ever?
So, in a few years we are going to have many Podocarpus bushes, and I will probably be giving them away just like Barb. I have planted some of them in rows to sort of make a privacy fence. I sure hope Sandy's do well.
Guess what I discovered all over the place today? Tithonia seedlings. On the Bank, on Sandy's Bank, in the garden, in the front yard. Yep, all that rain we just had made them sprout. All of the seeds I sowed have sprouted. I saw where the Cosmos are up too. Wow! All it took was some good rain.
Our tomatoes are starting to ripen, and I will be picking them asap. I will be sure to post a photo. Peace & Plenty.
Not mine. Ray's. She has the cutest things.
The rabbits got several of the Bell Peppers and some of the Basil, so I put the rest of the plants into the Raised Bed. I will def be making another Wattle Fence this fall. Look out rabbits!
Please click on the photo to better see that little baby. Cute!
Yes we did, and a whole lot of it. The Rain Barrels, tubs, jugs, and buckets are all full. After today we are supposed to get 2 weeks of dry. Tornado watch in effect this am. Whew!
The new garden plants are doing well, except for one Bell Pepper that a rabbit nibbled, but I hope it will grow back. They have to taste test you know.
I weeded Val's garden beds yesterday and am proud to say the Zinnias, Cosmos, Tithonia, & Silene are doing great. She does need fillers, but I just couldn't go last evening. Maybe today. They definitely need an overnight to harden off before the sun hits them.
On Monday I found a barbeque grill in someone's trash can. It is one of those that is deep, and I knew it would make a nice planter. I added mulch at the bottom, a good potting soil, and then sowed flower seeds. That rain will make them sprout in no time at all. I plan on transplanting most of the plants to other people's gardens and putting a thriller in the middle, fillers around that and spillers coming down the sides. I will take a photo when it gets established. The greatest thing about that grill is that it has 2 wheels on the back to move it around easily. Love it!
Today is my day to weed, and deadhead Ray's garden. No need to worry about water. 
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I lost a bunch of Tithonia rotundifolia due to the drought, but I have enough plants left to get more seeds if all goes well.
Peace & Plenty.
Bright & early yesterday morning I started the new Patio Garden. I had been keeping Basil & Bell Peppers in pots in the semi-shade waiting for the Silene to finish going to seed before starting the garden. It was taken out on Friday, seed safely stored to dry and then be put away until August. I should have enough seeds to start an acre farm of Silene. 
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There were 3 Basil plants to put in, plus I have more in the Raised Bed, but I'm leaving that in there for now. I had 6 Bell Peppers, 2 of the Tithonia rotundifolia, 4 Tithonia diversifolia, 2 Blue Salvia, 1 Cleome, 1 Mango tree that might not make it, lots of Crackerjack Marigolds, Cosmos, and Zinnias. I put in a whole row of the Tithonia rotundifolia seeds to make a fence line on the outside of the garden, and a row of Cape Honeysuckle on the inside section. There will be no fence around this garden, and it will be easier to mow around it.
DH & I attended 2 different get togethers yesterday. First, we went to my friend Val's for dinner. She has been wanting to invite us to dinner since I started working on her garden and carrying away the Red Lava Rock. Believe me, we carried a ton of it from her garden to mine. Her DH is the cook and I tell you it was awesome good. He made beans with bacon, cornbread, mac & cheese, deviled eggs, and they served a Honey Baked Ham. Man, it was so good. Apple pie for dessert. We talked and laughed so much and there were 2 other friends there as well and they really enjoyed themselves also. My friend Ray was having a soiree at her house and told me to be sure to come up after Val's party. We did, and I am so thankful to have her for a friend. She had gotten together a group of their friends, and we had the best time I've had in a long time. One of her friends made a Lemon Cake, and one made a Blueberry pie from scratch. Since I had not eaten a piece of that apple pie at Val's I had a piece of each. Wow! Can you say delicious? We talked, laughed, shared, got caught up, I showed 2 of the ladies my garden and they want plants. It was wonderful and I made new friends. Life is good. Not only that, but Ray & her DH brought down all the leftover food later in the evening. Now, how you gonna beat that?
